This film is currently available on Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
Thousands of home-made indie films are produced every year, but few of them manage to see the light of day. Every so often, a feature does manage to find distribution and make an impression with audiences. Usually, it’s because the film is something truly unique and unusual. Lake Michigan Monster is most certainly one of those flicks. Filmed in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area for somewhere around $7000 and completed over a period of a couple of years, the feature impressed audiences at film festivals and has now landed a Blu-ray distribution deal with Arrow Video.
The flick has been accurately described as a SpongeBob SquarePants cartoon combined with the films of Guy Maddin (The Saddest Music in the World, Twilight of the Ice Nymphs). The story follows the eccentric Captain Seafield played by Ryland Tews (who also wrote and directed the picture). Determined to locate and kill the sea monster he believes is responsible for his father’s death, Seafield recruits a special team to help him slay the underwater beast. They consist of weapons expert Sean Shaughnessy (Erick West), sonar whiz Nedge Pepsi (Beulah Peters) and former Navy officer Dick Flynn (Daniel Long). Of course, Seafield’s decision-making skills and motivations don’t always make sense or hold much water, leading the group on a series of surreal and bizarre misadventures.
This picture moves at a breakneck pace, which actually ends up helping it tremendously. It hurls gag after gag at the audience. Admittedly, the humor very hit-and-miss, but given the number of jokes being delivered, viewers will find themselves chuckling regularly. The playfully over-the-top Seafield character is a big benefit to the movie. His accent is amusingly ridiculous and his deadpan delivery is even funnier. You can’t help but laugh at some of his unusual comments and arguments whilst dealing with his crew. It also seems as if the filmmakers threw every nautical prop they could find into the tale, even if it’s unnecessary or is inconsistent. This practice actually adds a level of absurdity to the proceedings, assisting the flick greatly.
Perhaps the greatest plus is the look of the film. The photography, which has been processed into grainy black and white, actually helps hide the limited funding. There are some extreme camera angles, creative editing and original use of digital effects on display that give the film a distinctive flavor (that does, indeed, harken t the work of their biggest influence, Guy Madden). Even if the story is threadbare and serves as more of an excuse for some silliness, the camera work and pacing keep the mind busy and focused on what’s coming next. The finale, involving a character visiting an underwater kingdom, is particularly impressive to witness. Of course, it wouldn’t be an aquatic tale without a sea shanty and the picture also has a memorably good one in “Dear Old Captain Seafield”, which is highlighted during the closing credits.
Not all of the comedy here works, but thanks to the lead’s delivery and clever edition, more hits the mark than one might expect. Add this to the flick’s peculiar and stylish appearance and it is easy see how this tiny production has found a following – it most certainly is one of the better do-it-yourself features to come around in some time. Naturally, Arrow Video have given the movie an impressive debut on disc. The movie is intended to have a grimy filmic look with intentional added CGI transitions and effect and it all looks striking.
The Blu-ray disc also comes packed with extras. In fact, there are three commentaries included. The first features the director and his cast, who between joking around, describe the difficulties in making a no-budget feature. They admit to being helped tremendously by the work of the editor Mike Cheslik, who insisted on keeping things moving at a rapid pace and making sure that the picture didn’t outstay its welcome (it runs a spry 78 minutes).
The cast members also note how surprised they were by the end result, suggesting that they never anticipated the final product being as good as it ultimately was. In general, they are all too self-deprecating for their own good, but it’s a genial enough track. They also return for a second commentary while drunk, which isn’t as informative but may amuse some of the flick’s fans. And finally, there is a critic commentary. The two movie experts, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Emma Westwood, try to give some analysis and note some of the references on display, although they ultimately revert to joking around too… it seems that the movie just has that effect on viewers.
One of the more interesting bonus features is a look at the visual effects used during the climax. It displays the finished underwater sequence with studio footage of the principal character going through his actions in front of a green screen. They also show plates that were shot separately and incorporated into the final product. It’s remarkable how impressive it ends up looking using so little. The disc also includes the theme song as a separate extra, as well as interviews that including Ryland Tews and other cast and crew recorded at the Fantasia and Beloit Film Festivals. And the release comes with another animated project that the filmmaker has been working on. Additionally, there press and publicity materials and a couple of intros to the movie featuring Tews, in which he delivers a couple of funny lines.
While the interviews are great, the special effects featurette is impressive and there is some engaging trivia that can be distilled from the commentaries, the real centerpiece of this release is the movie itself. It is a truly bizarre and one-of-a-kind little homemade feature that has managed to find its audience and continues to win over more converts. For those who have enjoyed the movie or want to support truly independent filmmaking, Lake Michigan Monster is a Blu-ray definitely worth checking out.